We found out this week that Michael Jackson did not in fact write the hit Simpsons song "Do The Bartman," but fans of the King of Pop will be glad he didn't originate another role either: Jar Jar Binks. It came out this week that Jacko was actually hoping to portray the loathed Star Wars: The Phantom Menace character.
Actor Ahmed Best, who ended up voicing the Gungan, revealed Jackson's interest during an interview with Vice this week. He claims that he attended a Jackson concert with Star Wars mastermind George Lucas, and had the chance to meet the pop star following the gig. Lucas then revealed to him that Jackson had hoped to portray Binks while wearing prosthetics similar to those used in the "Thriller" music video.
"My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don't think [Lucas] wanted that," Best said in the interview, also noting that Lucas wanted to do Jar Jar in CGI.
Jackson was not necessarily at the high point of his career at that point (1999) and taking on the role of Jar Jar would not have done him any favors. Although many publications have played it conservatively, citing Binks as "one of" the most hated characters in Star Wars history, we'll go ahead and make the not-so-bold claim that he's THE most hated. The bumbling character provides an almost Abbot & Costello brand of comic relief to the film, which was hardly necessary to begin with. The fact that the character spoke with a seemingly Caribbean accent made things worse, leading many to associate the character with blackface minstrel shows...which isn't a good look during the '90s. Lucas denied the racial allegations but notably all-but cut the character from the second chapter in the newer trilogy.
Best has embraced the hatred as best he can, voicing the character for satirical purposes on shows from The Colbert Report to Robot Chicken.
